Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For the information of members I have a statement to make regarding the building and, of course, the chamber. Unfortunately, once again I have to advise the House of revised arrangements for the chamber and the parliament due to COVID-19 outbreaks across the country.

As members would be aware, the President of the Senate and I made a statement last Monday on temporary changes to the building operations here at Parliament House based on the current COVID-19 situations in Queensland and New South Wales, travel restrictions and designated hotspot areas. Parliament House is now closed to the general public. Members and their staff should only sign in those persons needing to conduct essential business and sponsors should ensure that their visitors leave the building immediately following the conclusion of that business. Access restrictions have been placed on volunteers and sponsored passholders, former parliamentarians and elected members of other parliaments. These passholders will not be able to access the building with their passes.

With the delta variant of COVID-19 spreading in parts of the community, the use of masks is particularly important. Building occupants, including members, should wear masks wherever possible when doing so would not impede their work, including during any meetings and in this chamber. To reduce the transmission of COVID-19, all persons attending parliament are requested to: maintain appropriate hand and respiratory hygiene practices; minimise gatherings with other building occupants; and ensure physical distancing is maintained throughout the building. Occupants are encouraged to avoid unnecessary meetings in person.

If any building occupant has spent time in a nominated Queensland local government area on or after 21 July they need to have isolated until receiving a negative test result—I know that many of you have done that already—and, obviously, follow the stay-at-home directions in place for the ACT. Importantly, the stay-at-home order imposed by the ACT government requires people subject to the order, amongst other things, to wear a mask when not in their residence and whilst in the ACT they may not socialise with other building occupants or colleagues, including in offices.

Members and staff are reminded that physical distancing requirements in the chamber and other meeting rooms are again in place. Here in the chamber we will return to the situation as it was last year, with one important addition: that is that we're asking members to wear masks in the chamber when they're not participating in the debate. There will be increased spacing, as you can see in the chamber, so members may not be sitting where they sat last time. Please sit only in the seat now allocated to you with your name. Ministers and shadow ministers who are allocated seats in the rows behind the frontbench are asked to remain at their allocated seats when they speak.

As you would remember, there will be reduced services from the attendants. Water will not be provided by the attendants but is available in bottles located at the rear of the chamber. Members can obtain their own water, or may bring their own water with them, and are requested to dispose of any empty bottles in one of the bins. Hand sanitiser is located at a number of stations within and around the chamber, so please use it regularly. Only three advisers will be permitted in the advisers' box on each side of the chamber. Advisers must scan in before entering the chamber and wear a mask. The Federation Chamber will not meet this week. Outside the chamber, if there is a Canberra check-in app placed outside a room or a space that you're entering, please use it. This includes the entrance to all the food and beverage outlets when collecting takeaway. Members and other building occupants also should not attend any other events outside on the authorised assembly area at the front of Parliament House.

Finally, I cannot stress enough how important it is that, with the COVID situation evolving so rapidly, those who have travelled here need to regularly check the COVID-19 exposure locations in their home jurisdictions or areas they have been in over the last 14 days. If at any time any building occupants have symptoms, no matter how mild, you must not attend Parliament House, and you must get tested and isolate until getting a negative result.

Members will be kept informed of any change regarding arrangements here at Parliament House, and the Department of Parliamentary Services will continue to provide regular updates regarding the appropriate health measures via information circulars. I thank the House.